The present invention relates generally to devices suitable for use in dispensing a measured amount of liquid material from a container. The invention particularly relates to a hypodermic syringe having the same general appearance as a pen or mechanical pencil which is specifically adapted to provide for multiple measured injections of materials such as insulin or human growth hormone.
Diabetics and others frequently find themselves in situations where the assistance of a health professional is unavailable to administer a subcutaneous or intramuscular injection of measured amount of a liquid agent. In such situations such persons need to have a low cost syringe which does not require the assistance of a health professional to achieve the desired measure of accuracy. It is often the case that such persons require more than one dose per day, each dose being of a somewhat different volume. Dispensers of this general type are known which have the general appearance of a pen or mechanical pencil. The dispenser is typically large enough to hold several such doses, yet it is small enough to fit conveniently in one's pocket or purse. Examples of such devices are to be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,413,760; 4,498,904; and 4,592,745. Additional examples are shown in PCT International Publications WO 87/02895 and WO 88/07874, and in European Patent Application 89101509.1.
In devices of this class, a container of the liquid is generally provided having a closed first end adapted to be penetrated by a needle assembly so as to permit the liquid in the container to pass out the closed first end for subcutaneous or intramuscular injection. The second end of the container is generally closed by a piston. To prevent tampering or reuse of the liquid container, the piston is generally designed such that a pushing force can be applied to the piston to reduce the liquid-holding volume of the container, but no feature is presented which would be suitable for pulling on the piston so as to enlarge the liquid-holding volume of the container.
An elongated member in the nature of a plunger rod is received within the housing for exerting a force on the piston closing the second end of the container. A means is provided for measuring the distance which the plunger rod travels to determine the decrease in volume of the liquid container which causes the dispensing of the liquid within the container. It has generally been recognized that the dispenser should have some feature which would allow the rod to only travel in a single direction toward the piston thereby preventing any action on the part of the rod which might permit an enlargement of the volume of the liquid container. A safety cover is generally provided over a needle assembly attached to the closed end of the container.
While the prior art pen-style syringes have met with some success, certain shortcomings have also been observed. In some prior art pens, the adjustment of the dose to be injected, once made, cannot be accurately diminished to a smaller value. This results in an unnecessary waste of the medicating liquid within the syringe. In some prior art pens, the indication of dose is difficult to read. Prior art pens have generally required the patient to read two scales and/or to do some computations in order to determine the dosage delivered. Further, many prior art devices are specifically intended for repeated use generally by substitution of containers within the syringe which can contribute to the unethical use of the syringe in connection with non-prescribed substances.